He no longer felt like a thirty-seven-year-old loser living with his mother and pretending to be a detective. He was a real detective. He'd solved one real mystery, and was convinced he was about to solve another. He might even catch a real killer.

Low-rent 'detective" Mike Levine lives at home with his mother, Estelle, who still calls him by the name she gave him-Mordecai. While working his first real mystery, Mike is helped by his sister, Rhonda, an overly enthusiastic reference librarian, and her sarcastic policeman husband, Ralph. Together, they form an unlikely comic team of amateur sleuths.

Mike's obsession with obscure historical details-like the bridge in the background of the Mona Lisa-helps him investigate the mysterious disappearance of a bride on her wedding night. An incredible true story from 1760 about a de Launay family scandal proves to be the key to solving the modern-day mystery. And, along the way, Mike unlocks some of his own family secrets.

When the mystery turns into murder, Mike's own life is in danger. His only goals now are to stay alive, solve the mystery, and turn his family into a team of real detectives.